Vol. 1 Chapter 7 – Fresh Flowers Scorched Earth Campus. (7)

Chi Xi stepped back instinctively.

Perhaps the scene wasn’t over yet; several zombies still retained human postures, chatting and laughing as they headed toward the dormitory building.

Yin Liuming tried to take a step forward.

The invisible wall that had blocked them just now had disappeared.

The boy was still lying on the ground, his eyes blank.

The concrete floor of the boiled water room was uneven, and the accumulated dirty water had stained his school uniform, but he seemed unaware.

The boy’s face looked a little familiar.

Yin Liuming crouched in front of him and gently asked, “Qi Xiaobei?”

The boy’s eyes moved slightly, looking at Yin Liuming with a hint of confusion.

Yin Liuming helped Qi Xiaobei up, took a tissue from his pocket, and wiped his face.

Chi Xi also ran over, saw the cigarette burn on Qi Xiaobei’s hand, and his eyes turned a little red. “Should we go to the school clinic? I know where it is.”

Yin Liuming glanced at Qi Xiaobei, who only hung his head with no response.

The school clinic at Anyang High School was behind the office building. It had two small, empty rooms, like the other classrooms and offices. There were pots of white lilies sat on the windowsill.

Yin Liuming skillfully found the medicine and gauze in the cabinet and took care of Qi Xiaobei’s wound.

As Chi Xi comforted Qi Xiaobei, he turned his head and saw this scene. “Brother Yin, you’re quite experienced!”

Yin Liuming didn’t even look up. “I just know a little.”

Qi Xiaobei sat quietly, waiting for Yin Liuming to finish bandaging his wound, and then said, “Thank you.”

Yin Liuming carefully examined the boy.

He looked about seventeen or eighteen, short and very thin. The zipper on his school uniform was broken and hung open, showing the wrinkled clothes underneath.

His hair looked like it hadn’t been cut in a long time, with bangs almost reaching his eyebrows.

His features weren’t particularly delicate, making him completely ordinary in a crowd. His eyes were already filled with numbness.

Yin Liuming withdrew his gaze. “What are you planning to do?”

“What?”

“Is he named Yan Hang? You don’t tell the teacher?”

Qi Xiaobei pressed his lips together and, after a moment, indifferently said, “The teacher won’t care.”

Yin Liuming recalled the results of Chi Xi’s earlier investigation. Yan Hang was the grandson of the vice principal of Anyang High School, and his father held a prominent position in the province.

“Is it useless to go to Principal Zhou?” Chi Xi paced back and forth, his voice unusually loud. “How can the school’s reputation be ruined like this!”

Qi Xiaobei lowered his head.

After a while, he put his hands in his pockets and bowed to Yin Liuming and Chi Xi. “Thank you, teachers.”

Then, with his frail shoulders drooping as if his spine had broken, he turned and left silently.

Chi Xi tightened her lips and looked at Yin Liuming for help. “Brother Yin, what should we do?”

“This should be part of the plot of this dream,” said Yin Liuming, putting the gauze back in the medicine cabinet. “Are you really that invested?”

Chi Xi paused; the surge of adrenaline from earlier had suddenly faded, and he deflated like a punctured balloon. “Sorry, Brother Yin, I just…”

Yin Liuming raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask further.

He patted Chi Xi’s shoulder. “Do you smell something burning?”

They had followed the smell and found the boiled water room.

Chi Xi paused for a moment, then his expression changed slightly. “It seems to be coming from Qi Xiaobei?”

“If the dream is transformed from the dreamer’s own dream…” Yin Liuming nodded. “Do you remember the name of the dream?”

— Fresh Flowers Scorched Earth Campus.

The flowers and the campus are present, but where is the scorched earth?

Chi Xi gradually pressed her lips into a line. “Brother Yin suspects that Qi Xiaobei is the dreamer and that our dream is his dream?”

“The setup of the main mission and the students’ obedience to the bell both suggest that the dreamer is a student,” Yin Liuming said as he moved to the window and stroked the white lilies in their pots. “According to Ning Yuanyuan, dangers in dreams mostly originate from what the dreamer is afraid of. If all the students have become zombies, it means the dreamer is afraid of their classmates.”

Chi Xi’s previous investigation of the students in Class 3 of the third senior year revealed that the other students felt both disdain and fear towards Yan Hang’s group.

Given these circumstances, the chances of the others defending Qi Xiaobei were slim. Subjectively, Qi Xiaobei himself sensed this.

The more Chi Xi mulled it over, the more reasonable it seemed. He looked at Yin Liuming appreciatively. “Brother Yin really has a point.”

Yin Liuming glanced at him, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “If only things were that simple.”

Chi Xi paused for a moment.

Just then, a faint howl mingled with terrified screams echoed from afar, shattering the calm of the lunch break.

Chi Xi listened intently, a bit unsure. “Is that Wei Zilong?”

Yin Liuming’s expression remained unchanged as his gaze fell on the white lilies on the windowsill. “After Yan Hang and the others turned into zombies, they went back to the dormitory building and perhaps turned all the other students there into zombies afterward.”

Then didn’t Ding Pei’an and the others who entered the dormitory building find themselves trapped?

The dormitory corridor was narrow, with rooms lining both sides; if the zombies rushed out all at once…

Chi Xi, who had been annoyed by Ding Pei’an’s earlier boasting, suddenly felt calm. “I just hope they can get out safely.”

“If Qi Xiaobei is the dreamer, then there’s still a big question… what role do the flowers play?”

Yin Liuming withdrew his hand from the lilies. “From Yan Hang beating Qi Xiaobei to death to the ivies bringing zombies back to life as humans at night, it’s all a cycle of life and death. In this cycle, where do the flowers fit in?”

In Qi Xiaobei’s case, he didn’t appear to have any connection with flowers.

Throughout the school in this dream, flowers of all varieties seemed to be everywhere. Wherever there was soil, it was a flowerbed, and where there wasn’t, there were flowerpots.

With a frown, Chi Xi wondered, “Could it be that Qi Xiaobei’s parents run a flower stall?”

Yin Liuming lightly stroked his chin. “I do have a theory… but it can only be tested when we teach at night.”

……

When Yin Liuming and Chi Xi arrived at the school building, they saw Ding Pei’an and Yang Jiao.

In stark contrast to his usual confidence, Ding Pei’an’s expression was now dark and grim, shadows of gloom surrounding him.

Yang Jiao’s face still bore a look of fear, and his complexion was quite pale.

Ning Yuanyuan approached from another direction, frowning at the scene. “Where’s Wei Zilong?”

Ding Pei’an kept silent, his expression grave, as Yang Jiao’s voice shook. “He was bitten by a zombie and was left behind in the dormitory.”

Chi Xi gasped, covering his mouth in shock, his eyes wide with bewilderment.

Although he disliked Wei Zilong and Ding Pei’an, he never wished for their deaths.

Yin Liuming glanced at Ding Pei’an.

Even though Ding Pei’an had an unpleasant expression, he did not appear to feel any remorse.

Either he had tried to save Wei Zilong but failed, or he originally intended to take this opportunity to get rid of him.

After all, Wei Zilong’s broken right arm made movement difficult.

Based on Yin Liuming’s observations of Ding Pei’an, the latter possibility seemed more likely.

Yin Liuming only thought for a moment before pushing the matters of Ding Pei’an and Wei Zilong aside.

He spoke up, “I have an idea of how to complete the mission.”

Everyone’s attention immediately gathered on him.

Yin Liuming briefly explained the theory that ivy could resurrect zombies, then concluded, “No matter what we teach, the zombies won’t be able to understand. If we want to complete the makeup lesson mission, we first need to turn the zombies back into normal students.”

Ning Yuanyuan pondered for a moment. “Are you suggesting we bring the ivy into the classroom?”

Yin Liuming nodded. “Based on the current actions of the students in the dream, they will come to the school building after lunch break and won’t leave the classroom during class time.”

Afternoon classes usually have three or four sessions, which should be enough time for them to bring the ivy over.

Yang Jiao cautiously spoke up, “But there’s still a zombie in the dormitory…”

They all paused, then realized who Yang Jiao was referring to—Wei Zilong.

Zombies that originated from players may not be affected by the ringing of the bell.

The thought of another zombie interfering made Ning Yuanyuan’s expression darken as she shot a cold glance at Ding Pei’an.

Ding Pei’an’s expression tightened, his jaw clenched discreetly. In a weakened tone, he said, “I didn’t notice. By the time I realized, it was already too late to save him.”

Ning Yuanyuan laughed coldly.

Yin Liuming thought for a moment. “I’ll take responsibility for drawing Wei Zilong away.”

“Brother Yin?!”

Ding Pei’an’s eyes brightened, decisively saying, “Then it’s up to you.”

His speech was brisk and resolute, unlike how he had spoken earlier.

Even Yang Jiao couldn’t listen any longer, quietly stepping back two paces, distancing himself from Ding Pei’an.

Chi Xi glared at Ding Pei’an, his face flushing with anger. “Shameless!”

Ding Pei’an sneered. “He volunteered; I didn’t force him to say it.”

Chi Xi’s expression grew tense. At last, he turned to Yin Liuming and said, “Brother Yin, I’ll go with you.”

During the day, Yin Liuming maintained an excellent temperament, never showing anger. He said with a smile, “No need, I won’t be in any trouble.”

“But…”

Yin Liuming lowered his voice. “And there are other things I’ll entrust you with.”

After the afternoon class bell rang, all the zombie students were indeed sitting obediently in the classroom, just as Yin Liuming had predicted.

Yin Liuming was the first to step into the dormitory building.

According to Ding Pei’an and Yang Jiao, Wei Zilong had completely turned into a zombie on the third floor before they abandoned him.

Taking precautions, Yin Liuming made his way through the first and second floors first.

The dormitory building’s corridors were dim and deserted, even in daylight. The cement floor was grimy and dark, scattered with footprints, while graffiti covered the walls, all combining to create an unsettling, mysterious silence.

The air carried a blend of mildew, the pungent smell of boys’ shoes, traces of laundry detergent, and more.

All the doors were quietly closed, yet it gave the impression that something might burst out at any moment.

Yin Liuming turned halfway around and immediately saw a faint blue figure floating in front of him.

Most people would likely be startled by such a sight.

Yin Liuming asked calmly, “Mr. Shen, do you need something?”

Shen Lou didn’t see any change in Yin Liuming’s expression and seemed a bit disappointed. “I just wanted to see what you were doing.”

Yin Liuming raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze falling on the walls surrounding Shen Lou.

Although Shen Lou was merely a phantom, he emitted a faint glow all around him.

In this case, he could easily serve as a nightlight.

Yin Liuming suddenly recognized Shen Lou’s usefulness, and a sincere smile spread across his face. “If you’re free, why not keep me company?”

An obvious look of surprise flashed across Shen Lou’s stunningly inhuman face as he scrutinized Yin Liuming suspiciously.

In the past, whenever he had come out, Yin Liuming was never this enthusiastic.

Is he afraid to go into the dormitory building alone?

Shen Lou looked over his contractor from head to toe.

Yin Liuming made his smile seem even more sincere.

After a while, Shen Lou withdrew his scrutinizing gaze and slightly curved his lips. “Alright.”

Yin Liuming politely made a gesture inviting him to go ahead.

The floating light made it easier for him to see the way ahead.

Shen Lou proudly lifted his chin slightly and floated in front of Yin Liuming.

After checking the first and second floors and seeing no one, Yin Liuming headed up to the third floor.

A faint smell of decay began to permeate the corridor when he reached the third floor.

Yin Liuming’s expression became more solemn as he slowly walked forward, carefully observing the doors.

The doors of the dormitories for Class 3 of the third senior year were all open. Evidently, the zombies didn’t think to close them before leaving.

Observing Yin Liuming’s careful behavior, Shen Lou spoke up, “Why don’t you have that person surnamed Ding come up instead? He’s the one who caused all this.”

“Ding Pei’an is probably going to cause trouble.” Yin Liuming shrugged slightly. “Besides, I have the ivy in the illustration book.”

He had used the ivy’s ability to resurrect Ye Qingqing at around eight or nine in the morning, and the five-hour cooldown had now passed.

Yin Liuming wanted to see if the ivy could resurrect Wei Zilong.

Shen Lou clearly guessed Yin Liuming’s thoughts and scoffed, “What’s the point of resurrecting that fool?”

“It’s still a life,” Yin Liuming replied evenly. “And having more people involved in testing things isn’t a bad thing.”

Hearing those words, Shen Lou’s expression softened a little. “Don’t be too naive in this game. Most Nightmare Game players are selfish and only look out for themselves. The weak will just be used until there’s nothing left.”

Yin Liuming was not surprised by this. “Thank you for the reminder.”

He changed his tone. “Mr. Shen, have you never asked another player to help you collect the illustration record before? How do you know so much about it?”

Shen Lou’s eyes dropped slightly as he chuckled. “Humans are all the same. If players didn’t harm each other, the system wouldn’t have needed to create a punishment mechanism.”

Talking about this made Yin Liuming feel awake.

He perked up, “I would like to hear more details.”

Shen Lou hadn’t planned to say much, but when he saw the bright glimmer in Yin Liuming’s eyes, his reflection shining there, he paused for a moment and continued, “The Nightmare Game was originally single-player. But as more people joined, it became inevitable for players to end up in the same dream scenario. At first, it was fine, but players began killing each other for rewards in the dreams. In response, the game system adjusted its rules to limit player attacks, making sure everyone stayed focused on overcoming the challenges.”

Yin Liuming nodded thoughtfully.

This indicated that… the dreams in the Nightmare game were unique.

If replication were possible, players in the same dream could exist in their separate, parallel spaces—much like individual game instances.

Of course, it could also be to save resources. After all, Yin Liuming isn’t clear on what the game’s true nature was yet, so he couldn’t jump to conclusions.

Just as he was lost in thought, the door in front of him suddenly swung open with a bang, and a vicious zombie burst through, roaring as it lunged at Yin Liuming!